Katharine McPhee Stays Fit for Smash

Watch out America--McPheever is threatening to strike the nation again. She stole our hearts with her first note on American Idol, and now Katherine McPhee is stealing our screen again in the musical drama "Smash."

Watch out America--McPheever is threatening to strike the
nation again. She stole our hearts with her first note on American Idol, and now Katherine McPhee is stealing our screen
again in the musical drama Smash.

The veteran SELF cover girl has had a busy year filming Shark Night 3D and gearing up for her new NBC show, airing February 2012, where she competes for the lead role of Marilyn Monroe in a Broadway musical.

But like every SELF women, McPhee doesn’t let her busy schedule get in the way of staying healthy.

“I always try and stay in shape regardless of what I am working on at the moment,” she said. “Of course I have times when I am more in shape than other times, but the key for me is being consistent with my workouts.”

And from the looks of her gorgeous curves in the cherry-print Marilyn dress in the show’s preview, McPhee’s been hitting the gym hard.

Source: Will Hart/NBC

“I try and do at least 4 to 5 days of something active,” she said. “I generally have some sort of cardio in all my workouts. All of my weight training is done in a way that really keeps my heart rate up so that it is cardiovascular.”

McPhee also focuses on key spots of her body. “Even when I was heavier I always had a flat stomach. It’s just part of my genes. I get it from my mom,” she said (don’t worry, we’re teeming with jealousy too). “It’s always the rest of my body I have to be cautious of. As my dad used to jokingly say, ‘Once on the lips, twice on the hips!’ That is so true for me.”

But the curves she hated as a teenager are no longer working against her in Smash, as they bond her to the curvaceous iconic bombshell she’s auditioning for.

With so much excitement, it’d be easy for McPhee to get overwhelmed. The key for a gal on the go though is finding harmony so you don’t feel overworked.

“I enjoy hot yoga on some days for a nice balance of not overdoing it, while still working out,” she said.

If you can’t wait to get the McPhee overload you’ve been missing since 2006, you’re in luck. Smash has already been picked up for 15 episodes, which means more than three months of the boost every girl needs – great curves, confidence and crooning.